Formation of globular clusters in atomic-cooling halos via rapid gas condensation and fragmentation during the epoch of reionization

TL;DR

This study uses cosmological radiation-hydrodynamics simulations to explore how metal-poor globular clusters form rapidly in atomic-cooling halos during the epoch of reionization, highlighting the role of gas collapse, fragmentation, and merging.

Contribution

It demonstrates a plausible formation pathway for massive globular clusters via rapid gas condensation and fragmentation in early halos, with detailed simulation evidence.

Findings

Clusters form rapidly with masses around 6×10^5 M_sun

Star formation occurs before feedback can expel gas

Clusters resemble local GCs in mass and size

Abstract

We investigate the formation of metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) at the center of two dark matter halos with $M_{\rm halo} \sim4\times10^7 M_\odot$ at $z>10$ using cosmological radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. We find that very compact ($\lesssim$ 1 pc) and massive ($\sim6\times10^5 M_\odot$) clusters form rapidly when pristine gas collapses isothermally with the aid of efficient Ly$\alpha$ emission during the transition from molecular-cooling halos to atomic-cooling halos. Because the local free-fall time of dense star-forming gas is very short ($\ll 1\,{\rm Myr}$), a large fraction of the collapsed gas is turned into stars before stellar feedback processes blow out the gas and shut down star formation. Although the early stage of star formation is limited to a small region of the central star-forming disk, we find that the disk quickly fragments due to metal enrichment from supernovae. Sub-clusters formed in the fragmented clouds eventually merge with the main cluster at the center. The simulated clusters closely resemble the local GCs in mass and size but show a metallicity spread that is much wider than found in the local GCs. We discuss a role of pre-enrichment by Pop III and II stars as a potential solution to the latter issue. Although not without shortcomings, it is encouraging that a naive blind (not tuned) cosmological simulation presents a possible channel for the formation of at least some massive GCs.